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What Are the Biggest Injury Risks for Warehouse Workers?

By Patrick Alan Wagner | June 24, 2024

What Are the Biggest Injury Risks for Warehouse Workers?Warehouse workers are critical in Tennessee and around the country. In Chattanooga alone, there are numerous warehouses and distribution centers, including Amazon, Adorama, Kenco, Coca-Cola, and more. These businesses have a responsibility to make sure their employees remain safe and harm-free each day and shift. When employers do not take the necessary steps and precautions to prevent accidents, serious injuries occur.

Warehouse injuries cause employees to face significant consequences, such as costly medical expenses and lost income from being out of work for an extended period. If you sustained a warehouse injury, it may be time to find a Chattanooga workers’ compensation lawyer who can help you become aware of your legal rights and seek the financial assistance that you need by filing a workers’ compensation claim.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), warehouse workers frequently experience overexertion injuries as well as slip and fall injuries. However, there are many other serious injuries that these workers suffer daily. The following are seven of the biggest injury risks for warehouse workers:

  1. Overexertion injuries: stemming from intense physical labor, overexertion injuries often result from prolonged hours or strenuous tasks. These injuries can lead to muscle and tendon strain or damage and may cause the muscles and tendons to become stretched, torn, or even permanently damaged. As a result, injured persons may experience severe discomfort and pain in the back, knees, and shoulders.
  2. Slip and fall injuries: Inadequate lighting, uneven flooring, and obstructed pathways can contribute to accidents in warehouses. Slip and falls can result in sprains, strains, and more severe injuries including  broken or fractured bones, facial and dental injuries, cuts and lacerations, back and spinal cord injuries, internal bleeding, and organ damage. Mayo Clinic explains that a sprain causes injury to the “tissue that connects two bones together,” and a sprain injures the “tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone.” While most people consider sprains and strains as minor injuries, they can be extremely painful and may require surgery.
  3. Forklift accident injuries: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), around 7,000 injuries and over 600 fatalities resulted from  forklift accidents between 2011 and 2017. Forklifts accidents can lead to crush injuries, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and paralysis.
  4. Exposure to hazardous material injuries: Warehouse workers deal with hazardous chemicals almost every single day. This puts them at risk of burns, eye injuries, and disfigurement. Many times, warehouse workers who handle hazardous toxins and chemicals find out years later that they have long-term injuries and health conditions, such as cancer or organ damage.
  5. Caught between injuries: Most warehouses use large and powerful machines and equipment to help employees get the work done as efficiently as possible throughout their shifts. However, the use of heavy machinery increases the risk of being caught between injuries, resulting in crushed limbs, amputations, or even fatalities and possibly death.
  6. Repetitive stress injuries: Warehouse workers usually do the same type of work throughout their entire shifts, meaning that they may be moving their arms, legs, or bodies in the same motion for several hours at a time. This puts them at risk of repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome, muscle strains, soft tissue damage, and/or joint injury.
  7. Falling object or collapse injuries: Warehouse shelving filled with heavy items poses a threat of collapse or falling objects. If these shelves or racks collapse or objects fall, they can land on a worker and cause bruising, lacerations, broken and fractured bones, traumatic brain injuries, skull fractures, or even fatalities.

At Wagner & Wagner Attorneys at Law, we prioritize assisting warehouse workers in obtaining rightful compensation. Our lawyers will help you navigate the difficult and complex workers’ compensation process, and if you do not qualify, we can determine whether you are eligible to file a personal injury claim instead. Call our office or submit our contact form to request a free consultation today. Our team is based in Chattanooga, but we are ready and available to assist clients in other areas, including Cleveland and North Georgia.

Posted in Workers Compensation